Throwback Thursday: 5 Beauty Trends from Decades Past that We Love Right Now

If you accused us of living in the past you wouldn’t be totally wrong. We have been known to look over photo albums with misty eyes, wonder what Cher Horowitz is doing now, and spend hours watching “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” contemplating what it would have been like to be Audrey’s bestie. But while living in the past isn’t exactly healthy, we happen to think that a strong dose of nostalgia is often the best source of beauty inspiration. Here’s a little throwback Thursday, featuring the trends of decades past that we’re still obsessed with today.

Bold 50’s Lips

The 1950’s were defined by bold, unapologetic glamour. Strands were curled, brows were painted on, eyeliner was sharp and precise, beauty marks were faked and bold lipstick was a necessity. Icons like Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, and Lauren Bacall would have never considered their look finished without a perfectly painted pout, and we love them for it. This fall, we’re taking a page out of their book, with the perfect red lip, that quenches our thirst for the ladylike.
MDC Product Recommendations: Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy in Shade 400; Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in 69

Flirty 60’s Liner

Twiggy, Bardot, and Edie—they’re just a few of the icons that made serious beauty waves with knockout eyeliner in the 60’s. Whether the liner ran along the crease of the lid, on the lower lash line, or from the corner of the eye, there was never a shortage of glamour. This Halloween we’re taking the bold approach to mod liner, but our day-to-day routine usually includes a more subtly sexy cat eye.
MDC Product Recommendations: Lancôme Artliner Precision Point EyeLiner; Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

Fresh 70’s Face

It’s the decade that free spirits still long for today: hair was long and unkempt, clothes were colorful, fringed and absurd, and culture was pulsating with rebellious young voices that sought to rebel from the corset-like rigidity of their parents. In the aftermath of 1969’s Woodstock, festivals and music inspired mainstream beauty to take a fresher, more natural approach. Gone were dramatic eyeliner and bold lips—in their place came sunkissed and bare faces that were too free and wild to care about things like eye shadow. Nowadays, we like to evoke our inner hippie on the weekend by writing off our bare face as “70’s inspired.” Throw on some concealer, bronzer, and a swipe of mascara and break out that maxi dress.
MDC Product Recommendations: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer; Giorgio Armani Sheer Bronzer

80’s Baby Blues

We guess when they said, “Mama knows best” they knew baby blue eye makeup would make a comeback. If you’ve ever mocked mom’s—or your own—blue eyeshadow from the 80’s, you may be eating your words soon. Baby blue is creeping back onto the scene, in a few fresh variations. Try applying a light blue shadow to the lower half of your lid, or swap your black liner out for navy, to give this trend a modern spin.
MDC Product Recommendations: L’Oréal Colour Riche Eyeliner in Cobalt; Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Trio in Beyond Redemption

Undone 90’s Hair

In reaction to a wave of glamorous supermodels we knew by first name—Cindy, Naomi, Claudia—was a particular 90’s subculture trend that still makes our hearts leap: grunge. If it smelt like teen spirit, and involved flannel and men that probably didn’t shower, we loved it, and still do. While we’re not cool enough to pull off an entire grunge-tinged look in one go, one of our favorite aspects of the look is messy, undone hair. Pull out your texturizing spray (or simply skip the shampoo) and check out our guide to bedhead done right for Courtney Love strands that up your cool factor no matter what you’re wearing.
MDC Product Recommendations:Kérastase Spray Á Porter Beach Texture Spray; Redken Tousle Whip 04 Soft-Texturizing Cream Wax

We’re curious, which decade are you most inspired by? Fill us in with a comment below!
Photo: Thinkstock